The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-17
NORTHERN OHIO.

the opening day OF our Akron falr, ana
the weather bids fair TO help on the good
cause by putting on smiling counte-
nance. The ladies worked heroically
yesterday in constructing booths and in
decorating Sunday school class rooms In
which to display Christmas goods and
other bric-a-brac and works of art, to
tempt the unwary pocket book to yield
up it's hidden treasures. With dinners
to tempt the palate by day and with sup
pers and operettas to entertain the COM
ers at night, together with such fine
weather, the enterprise insures high de-
gree of success.
A Lawyer as Temperance Reformer
At the Ministers Meeting ir this city
last week one of our prominent attor-
neys, who had been invited to be present
and address the clergy, giving his views on
the temperance question, came before that
body and in lengthy address set forth
his views re-hashing all the stale argu-
ments which liquor men commonly use
in defense Of drinking and of dram shops.
This would-be reformer quoted from the
Bible to sustain his position just as pro-sla-
very men used to do in support of slavery
being divine institution What COM
ment upon the civilization of our day
that this juggernaut of the drink traffic
which mercilessly brushes the life out of
10000 OF our people every year and
brings untold misery to an aggregate of
five times that many children, wives,
widows and mothers, should have an ad-
vocate in one of our public men claim
ing average intelligence
HIS arguments were all in favor of
Reforming Our Preachers.
He proposed no plan nor limited at any
reform of the drunkard or the drunkard
makerl His labors were seemingly bent
for the enlightenment of the cloth who
have for long years made the temperance
problem one OF careful study Any
schoolboy ought to be able to show that
his position was unsound and untenable
from center to circumference; and that
for an intelligent man to lend himself to
the propagation of such pernicious ideas
only shows the unholy influence which
the traffic is exerting over thousands who
do not stop to carefully consider whittier
we are drifting. These saloons are the
Hot-Beds of Anarchy and Political Corrup-
ton,
and they have got their clutches on our
municipal State and national politics;
and unless the people soon arise and
unitedly strike down this ubiquitous
power, our country will be carried to pol
itical degradation and ruin. In twenty
six years last past, the consumption of
alcoholic beverages has been doubled
Then it was little more than six gall
Ions year to each inhsbitant, oman, wo-
man and child); now it is more than
twelve gallonsl In the language of an
other, "Can we stand another doubling?"
This ought to startle all Christians and
patriots to redoubled efforts for the over
throw of the drink demon. There should
be no apathy upon this question. There
is deeper and broader question than
the question show? 1t is the question
whether as temperance people and pa
triots we will have the courage of our
convictions and work in the way we claim
to be the best.
To be temperate is good as far as it
goes, but
Active Temperance Work
is the only solution to the problem.
There ought to be no bitter antagohism
between temperance people SO long as
each is actually working and voting ac-
cording to the dictates of robust con-
science; but each should be encouraged
to work in his own way, let it be partisan
or non-partisan. We have no friends to
lose; and the more people work for tenn
perance the more they see the necessity
Of united action. But to pray and not
work, to profess and not do, is the evil
that retards the progress of temperance
more than all things else. There are
plenty of temperance people in the land
to overthrow the liquor traffic il our
forces can but be united into one solid
phalanx; but thus far the temperance
forces have been divided and have large
ly relied upon sharp shooting and dis
united action. We believe the time is
not far distant, when all the temperance
people will act together, tremendously,
and then, and then only, will they achieve
permanent success. 1t is on this line,
we ask temperance people to labor. Let
there be no bitterness, but faithful and
persistent work in all directions that give
reasonable promise of success; but no
one should be abused for refusing to
work for measures which only stultify
the conscience and are calculated TO en-
trench the business and I6ake it respect
able"
The Buchtel College Art School will
give an exhibition of students work, in
Guiding examples in charcoal, crayon,
pastel, oil and water colors at the studio
on Friday evening and Saturday and
Saturday evening of next week, 9th and
10th inst.
The musical entertainment given at
the college this evening, by Miss Neatly
Stephens, pianist, of Chicago, is one of a